GE Doesn’t Pay Taxes — Taxpayers Pay GE

In 1983 NY hotel-chain-owning billionaire Leona Helmsley said, “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes…” As our country migrates from democracy to plutocracy, this more and more appears to be official policy. From Dave Johnson: Plutocracy: GE Doesn’t Pay Taxes – Taxpayers Pay GE So why is everyone saying corporate tax rates… Continue reading GE Doesn’t Pay Taxes — Taxpayers Pay GE

The economic beatings will continue until economic morale improves

The GOP prescription for higher employment is actually quite spectacular — it’s a thing of many levels, an ignorance wrapped in a fallacy. The idea is this: we’ll lay off government workers; this will raise unemployment, putting downward pressure on wages; and lower wages will lead to higher employment. So, for this to work you… Continue reading The economic beatings will continue until economic morale improves

Donald Trump: Let’s Tax the Rich to Pay the National Debt | Crooks and Liars

Trump, a prospective candidate for the Reform Party presidential nomination, is proposing a onetime net worth tax on individuals and trusts worth 10 million or more. By Trumps calculations, his proposed 14.25 percent levy on such net worth would raise 5.7 trillion and wipe out the debt in one full swoop. … “No one has… Continue reading Donald Trump: Let’s Tax the Rich to Pay the National Debt | Crooks and Liars

Krugman on William Cronon and the American Thought Police

Recently William Cronon, a historian who teaches at the University of Wisconsin, decided to weigh in on his state’s political turmoil. He started a blog, “Scholar as Citizen,” devoting his first post to the role of the shadowy American Legislative Exchange Council in pushing hard-line conservative legislation at the state level. Then he published an… Continue reading Krugman on William Cronon and the American Thought Police

What the right means when it calls NPR “liberal”

When it comes to covering and analyzing the news, the reverse of right isn’t left; it’s independent reporting that toes neither party nor ideological line. We’ve heard no NPR reporter – not a one – advocating on the air for more government spending (or less), for the right of abortion (or against it), for or… Continue reading What the right means when it calls NPR “liberal”

Richard Clarke on Chamber Attack Plans: It’s A Felony, They Should Go To Jail

Richard Clarke, who served for both Democratic and Republican Presidents, including a stint as the cyber security czar for the Bush administration, denounced the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for plottingwith a group of military contractors to hack into progressive groups. Clarke was in DC speaking at a cyber security conference hosted by Symantec. … Clarke… Continue reading Richard Clarke on Chamber Attack Plans: It’s A Felony, They Should Go To Jail

Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens is undergoing radiation treatment and wasn’t able to write this week’s column on his usual schedule. He hopes to file soon. From Christopher Hitchens Sad to see this.

The Austerity Delusion

Portugal’s government has just fallen in a dispute over austerity proposals. Irish bond yields have topped 10 percent for the first time. And the British government has just marked its economic forecast down and its deficit forecast up. What do these events have in common? They’re all evidence that slashing spending in the face of… Continue reading The Austerity Delusion

The Tea Party Goes To War

If the Tea Party can support military action where there isn’t even a smidgen of national interest involved, they are neocons in libertarian clothing. Just as one suspects they are Christianists in fiscal clothing. They are the hard right of the GOP. From The Tea Party Goes To War Sounds about right.